Ravens’ Lewis to Retire After Playoffs

FILE - Tampa Bay Rays starter David Price throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, in this Sept. 30, 2012 file photo. The three-time All-Star and the Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a one-year contract worth just over $10 million, avoiding arbitration a person with knowledge of the deal said Tuesday night Jan. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

FILE - Tampa Bay Rays starter David Price throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, in this Sept. 30, 2012 file photo. The three-time All-Star and the Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a one-year contract worth just over $10 million, avoiding arbitration a person with knowledge of the deal said Tuesday night Jan. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

FILE - Tampa Bay Rays starter David Price throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, in this Sept. 30, 2012 file photo. The three-time All-Star and the Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a one-year contract worth just over $10 million, avoiding arbitration a person with knowledge of the deal said Tuesday night Jan. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Lewis announced yesterday he will end his brilliant NFL career after the Ravens complete their 2013 playoff run.

Lewis has been sidelined since Oct. 14 with a torn right triceps. The 13-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker intends to return Sunday to face the Indianapolis Colts in what will almost certainly be his final home game.

“Everything that starts has an end,” the 37-year-old Lewis said. “For me, today, I told my team that this will be my last ride.”

Lewis will walk away from the game because he wants to spend more time with his sons. While working to return from his injury, Lewis watched two of his boys play on the same high school football team in Florida. He intends to see Ray Lewis III perform as a freshman next year for the University of Miami, where the elder Lewis starred before the Ravens selected him in the first round of the 1996 draft.

“God is calling,” Lewis said. “My children have made the ultimate sacrifice for their father for 17 years. I don’t want to see them do that no more. I’ve done what I wanted to do in this business, and now it’s my turn to give them something back.”

Lewis was the AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2000, the same season he was voted Super Bowl MVP following Baltimore’s 34-7 rout of the New York Giants. Lewis was also Defensive Player of the Year in 2003, and is the only player in NFL history with at least 40 career sacks and 30 interceptions.

Lewis has been with the Ravens since they moved from Cleveland. After being drafted 26th overall in Baltimore’s first draft, Lewis became a fixture at middle linebacker — and a beloved figure in Baltimore. He remained that way even after his alleged involvement in a double-murder in Atlanta in early 2000.

In June of that year, a judge approved a deal allowing Lewis to avoid murder charges and jail time by pleading guilty to a misdemeanor and testifying against two co-defendants. Within a year, Lewis was in the Super Bowl, leading the Ravens to their only NFL championship.

Hundreds of games later, he’s ready to call it a career.

Baseball

Rays, Pitcher Reach Deal

St. Petersburg, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays and American League Cy Young Award winner David Price agreed to a one-year deal for just over $10 million and avoided arbitration.

Price, who earned $4.35 million in 2012, agreed to the $10.1125 million deal Tuesday.

He became the franchise’s first 20-game winner in 2012, going 20-5 with an AL-best 2.56 ERA and 205 strikeouts in 211 innings. Price narrowly beat out Detroit’s Justin Verlander for the honor that annually goes to the league’s top pitcher.

The hard-throwing left-hander is 61-31 with a 3.16 ERA in five seasons with the Rays. The first overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Vanderbilt, Price is a three-time All-Star.

Tennis

Davydenko, Monfils Reach Quarters

Doha, Qatar — After struggling with injuries last year, Nikolay Davydenko and Gael Monfils are playing some of their best tennis at the Qatar Open.

Davydenko, once ranked as high as No. 3, combined a consistent first serve with aggressive play to unnerve the 25th-ranked Youzhny.

Azarenka, Serena Win

Brisbane, Australia — Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka opened her 2013 season with a 6-3, 6-3 win yesterday over Sabine Lisicki to join No. 3 Serena Williams and fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber in the Brisbane International quarterfinals.

American Sloane Stephens had a 6-3, 6-4 win over Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson to set up a quarterfinal against Williams. She’ll face a childhood hero.